G diminished chord on ukulele (Gdim)

Gdim is G, B♭ and D♭. The easiest shape is 0-1-3-1. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

0-1-3-1 · open · easy

Notes: G · B♭ · D♭
Formula: 1 · ♭3 · ♭5
First shape: 0-1-3-1

How to play Gdim on ukulele

Shape 1, 0-1-3-1, reading from the G string on the left:

Put your index finger on the C string at the 1st fret, which is D♭.
Put your middle finger on the A string at the 1st fret, which is B♭.
Put your ring finger on the E string at the 3rd fret, which is G.
The open G string adds G; don't touch it.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
On ukulele you strum all four strings. The top G string is tuned higher than the C, which is why ukulele chords sound bright and close.

Other ways to play Gdim

6-7-6-4: movable shape at the 4th fret, medium. Use it when the next chord sits nearby on the neck.
12-10-9-10: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. Up the neck the chord gets thinner and brighter, a good contrast to the open version.

Moving between Gdim and its neighbours

The chords Gdim usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

A♭ (leads up a half step): Gdim (0-1-3-1) to A♭ (1-3-4-3): the index finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the middle finger goes to the C string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the A string at the same fret, the pinky finger comes down on the E string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. A♭ on ukulele
G♯m (leads up a half step): Gdim (0-1-3-1) to G♯m (4-3-4-2): move the index finger to the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the C string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 4th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the E string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. G♯m on ukulele
Cm (iii in A♭ major): Gdim (0-1-3-1) to Cm (0-3-3-3): move the index finger to the C string, 3rd fret, move the middle finger to the E string, 3rd fret, the ring finger slides across to the A string at the same fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared note: G. Cm on ukulele

Gdim is a diminished triad: two minor thirds stacked. All 3 notes of Gdim fit on the ukulele's four strings, with one of them doubled. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

A short Gdim drill

Before strumming, play 0-1-3-1 note by note: G then D♭ then G then B♭. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to 6-7-6-4 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Where Gdim shows up

Gdim on guitar and piano

Gdim on guitar and piano uses the same 3 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Related G chords on ukulele

Other diminished chords

Gdim on ukulele: questions

What notes are in Gdim on ukulele?

G, B♭ and D♭. In the 0-1-3-1 shape the strings play G (G string, open), D♭ (C string), G (E string) and B♭ (A string), so G is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Gdim on ukulele?

0-1-3-1, shape 1 above. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is Gdim a barre chord on ukulele?

Not usually: 0-1-3-1 needs no barre.

Which string does Gdim start on?

In the 0-1-3-1 shape the lowest string you play is the G string, open, which is G, the root.

Every shape above plays only G, B♭ and D♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.